Flexible bulk containers for use in the storage, transportation and dispensation of flowable materials such as grains, chemicals and other bulky substances, are well known in the art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,143,796 and 4,194,652. Although there have been container fill systems for use with flexible bulk containers for as long as such containers have existed, prior systems have been costly, inefficient, labor intensive, and frequently hazardous to operate.
Most bulk containers are so large that a single person cannot secure the bulk container to the fill system without moving from one side of the fill system to the other. This has presented numerous difficulties in positioning the flexible bulk container for utilization with the fill system. One prior attempt to alleviate this problem has been the use of a moving work bridge that allows an operator to go from one side of the fill system to the other without walking on the moving conveyor belts often used to transport the filled containers. Other prior efforts include the use of two employees, one on either side of the fill system, to secure the container. Obviously, the latter fill system doubles the labor costs involved with its operation.
Other prior fill systems have required operators to undertake dangerous acrobatic and gymnastic maneuvers in order to secure the container by either having the operator walk on a moving conveyor belt or hang from the fill system by one arm in an attempt to reach over to the other side of the system to secure the bag. Such efforts can lead to employee injuries and other adverse consequences.
The container fill system of the present invention eliminates the foregoing and other problems associated with the prior art by incorporating a rotatable holder in the fill system for securing the flexible bulk containers. The present invention is truly a one person container fill system for flexible bulk containers. It eliminates the need for moving work bridges, walking on moving conveyor belts, and the necessity for performing gymnastic exercises. Additionally, the present invention eliminates the need for additional workers resulting in a savings in labor costs.
The present invention allows a single worker to secure one side of the bulk container to the fill system, rotate the container 180.degree. degrees, and subsequently secure the other side of the container to the system. The bulk container is then filled and thereafter removed by conventional means such as a pallet and fork lift or a moving conveyor belt. Afterwards, the rotatable holder of the container fill system is reversed to position the next bulk container for filling. Thus, the present invention overcomes many of the difficulties inherent in prior container fill systems.